She didn't just see the problem. She built the answer.

As a licensed youth sports coach with over a decade of experience coaching kids ages 2 to 17, Michelle has stood on more fields than she can count, watching young athletes find their courage, and strength.

She holds a U.S. Soccer Federation National Coaching License, a USA Rugby Coaching License, and Safe Soccer Clearance, and is certified through the Positive Coaching Alliance in Coaching with Empathy. Her coaching philosophy is built on the play-practice-play model and the Brave Smart Kind approach, helping families grow in confidence and character both on and off the field.

Michelle served for over six years as an executive board member of Legends FC Del Mar, formerly Del Mar Carmel Valley Sharks Soccer Club, supporting the club’s growth and community impact. Alongside her husband of twenty-five years, she raised two children, now 17 and 20, through every season of youth sports, recreational, competitive, and high school.

In spring 2025, while coaching her littlest athletes, her 3 to 5 year olds, Michelle witnessed something she couldn't ignore. Her little athletes turning around after their biggest moments, looking for their parents, only to find them looking at their phones.

She understood. She had been that parent too.

But watching it happen over and over broke her heart, and that heartbreak became a calling.

The Perch Play Method™ was born out of something new to our culture. Something that didn't exist a decade ago. Parental eyes locking into screens instead of locking in with their children. Missing the exact moment their children needed them to look up and lock eyes back at them. Michelle understood the challenge. Because our phones are designed to do exactly that.

Michelle founded The Perch Academy as an evidence-based, multigenerational space where parents, grandparents, and children grow stronger, braver, and more connected together.

The Perch Play Method™ is what she lived out with her own children when they were younger, distilled into sixty intentional minutes. Athletic play, creative arts, and faith-filled storytime in a fully screen-free environment. Built for every family who wants to be fully present and needing a place that makes it easier.

Everything at The Perch is grounded in a deep belief that children are a gift.

Michelle believes the relationship is more important than the activity. That presence is an act of love. That quality time, fully present and screen-free, matters more than quantity, and that this is what builds strong families. We can all agree the world needs that now more than ever.

Guided by biblical principles, Michelle leads with a “yes and amen” faith, creating space for connection, joy, and what matters most.

“The greatest gift we can give our children is our time, fully present and screen-free. That’s why I built The Perch. So no child has to compete with a screen for attention.”

— Michelle Dickerhoof, Founder and Creator of The Perch Play Method™